Eat for Eight Bucks: Bean Gratin

Ingredients

• 1.3 cups borlotti beans dry
• 0.5 cup breadcrumbs fresh
• 1 small carrots diced peeled finely
• 1 small stalk celery diced finely
• 6  sage fresh chopped
• 4  garlic clove thinly sliced
• 4 servings olive oil 
• 0.5 smallish onion diced finely
• 4 servings salt 
• 0.5 cup canned tomatoes fresh canned chopped

Equipment

• frying pan
• sauce pan
• oven
• baking pan

Directions

1. Put the beans in a saucepan with water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and then maintain a gentle simmer until the beans are tender; the total amount of time will vary greatly depending on your beans, but you should start checking after 45 minutes.
2. Add more water if necessary during cooking. When the beans are completely tender, season to taste with salt and allow them to cool in their liquid.
3. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan or skillet.
4. Add the diced vegetables and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and sage and season with salt. Cook for 5 minutes and then stir in the tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes more and taste for salt.
6. Drain the beans, reserving the liquid, and put them in a medium-size gratin or baking dish (mine is about 8 inches square and 2 deep). Stir in the sautéed vegetables and taste for salt again.
7. Pour in enough bean-cooking liquid to almost cover.
8. Drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil and cover with the toasted breadcrumbs.
9. Bake for 40 minutes in a 350 oven, peeking in occasionally. If the gratin is drying out, carefully spoon a bit of bean cooking liquid in at the edge of the dish, to avoid getting the bread crumbs wet.